Posts Tagged ‘Fourth Street’

Writing on the Mall has been trying to gather information to inform students that may be trying to get information, but are not able to follow our Twitter account (@WriteOnTheMall) or are also dealing with Facebook’s desire to croak at crucial points in time.

We are hearing that a transformer has blown near North Hill Bowling Alley, and that may be the cause for what seems to have peaked out at over 1,500 customers without power, according to AEP. Also, a tree has fallen on Colgate Avenue, but I did not hear if that tree took out further power lines or not.

Students I have talked to confirm that a bright green flash was seen throughout the sky, quickly followed by the power outage.

What does the outage means for Marietta College students? We are hearing that only McCoy Hall and Parsons have power. Specialty housing has also been affected, as Fourth Street has also lost power. Most academic buildings have lost power, and students have said that emergency lighting appears to have been switched on in facilities that have them.

The position for a Resident Assistant at Marietta College is becoming more popular every year and the selection process is more competitive as well.

â€œI really want to be a RA for many reasons,â€ said sophomore Corey Clause. â€œBut Iâ€™m really nervous about whether Iâ€™m going to get it or not because there are so many people taking the class to be one, I have to be able to stand out.â€

To try and be a Resident Assistant the student has to take the class Lead 121 and pass with a C or better. Their grade point average has to be a minimum of 2.5 as well as having good academic and disciplinary standing. The instructors also hold interviews for potential candidates toward the end of the class that plays a very important role in the selection.

â€œThe ability to problem solve, good decision making skills, leadership skills, a positive attitude and someone that wants to work with students and be a member of the Marietta College community,â€ said Richard Ciccone, the Resident Director on Fourth Street about what skills they look for in a Resident Assistant.

There is an increase of interest in the program this year with roughly 50 students enrolled in the class. Last year they had approximately 20 students per class but this year they decided to add another class of 20 as well because of more students interested.

â€œI love being an RA,â€ said Andy Guimond, a sophomore RA in McCoy Hall. â€œMy favorite part is having people that have to talk to you, Iâ€™ve met a boat load of more people on campus since Iâ€™ve been an RA.â€

Being a Residential Assistant is not always just fun though it takes a lot of work such as between being on duty, meetings and the personal programs.

â€œMy least favorite part is the programs we have to put on because they take too much time,â€ said Guimond.

There are many pros and cons to being a Residential Assistant but all signs seem to be pointing towards yes to more and more students each year who are deciding to take a little time out of their social life to save money.

This article was written by Danielle Staub, a student taking Media Writing Two at Marietta College. Â Look for more articles from the class to appear on Writing on the Mall in the coming weeks. Â If you are interested in writing for Writing on the Mall, please e-mail patrick_h at writingonthemall dot net.

This post is an educational tool for those unfamiliar with the flood plain of Marietta, OH. Â Currently, there is a FLOOD WATCH for the Marietta area, with projections of river levels reaching Action Stage by the 16th. Â Watch Writing on the Mall for projection updates as they are posted by the National Weather Service.

So you may be wondering what River Gauge is. Â It’s the measurement taken at select sites up and down rivers across the country to help better map river levels. Â There are two gauge sites near Marietta: one at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers on the Harmar side of the Muskingum, and one at the Willow Island Lock just upriver.

TheseÂ gaugeÂ readings can tell us how close we are to flood stage at certain points. Â At Marietta, as you can see on the image above, we start getting worried around the 33 foot mark, which is labeled an Action Stage. Â Between 33 and 35 feet, the river threatens to overflow at its lowest points. Â Action Stage also serves as a way to alert the community that the floodwaters could raise at any point.

Floodwaters between 35 and 38 feet are considered Flood Stage at Marietta. Â Flooding first hits Don Drumm Stadium, as it is one of the lowest areas in town. Â It takes 37 feet to affect Fourth Street housing.

Moderate Stage is when flood waters are between 38 and 40 feet. Â At this stage, most of the West Virginia area along the river is flooded. Â Flooding could affect the Hermann Bowl and areas along the creek.

When you get above 40 feet, you enter the Major Flood Stage, which is where seven of the ten largest floods in Marietta history have peaked. Â At 40 feet, a majority of Marietta is flooded, along with Harmar and low-lying areas of Williamstown. Â The largest flood in Marietta history topped out at over 58 feet. Â You can still see markers on first street to commemorate the largest floods, with more recent markers showing where the 2004 flood was. Â The September 2004 flood was nearly 45 feet, while the January 2005 flood was around 44 feet.

It was Friday Sept. 17, 2004. Remnants of Hurricane Ivan had just come through dropping almost five inches of rain over the Mid-Ohio Valley during the day. The Ohio River and its tributaries were already swollen due to three and a half inches of rain from the week before, when remnants of Hurricane Frances came through.

Early that Friday morning the National Weather Service in Charleston predicted that the Ohio River at Marietta would crest just above flood stage. Then later that afternoon, the National Weather Service called off the flood warning and said that the Ohio River at Marietta would crest more than a foot below flood stage.